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There is a lot to flip here.
On today's "Flea Market Flip,"
we have a husband and wife team who are ready to bring the heat.
You think it's hot now, it's gonna be even hotter.
Sizzle!
But these best friends are looking to cool them down.
We're gonna win because we're awesome.
We are.
The gloves are coming off...
You're cute, but you're not that cute.
Oh, no, we are.
SPENCER: ...as they set out to find...
It's like a throne!
...fix, and flip.
These retail between $500 and $1,000.
And in the end, whoever makes the biggest profit
will take home the $5,000 prize.
This was a real nail-biter.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Hi, everybody, I'm Lara Spencer,
and this is "Flea Market Flip."
Today we're at New England's finest flea,
the Elephant's Trunk, in New Milford, Connecticut,
and we have two teams hoping to hit it big,
and the hunt begins right now.
First up we have Al and Merry.
This is so awesome.
They may look sweet, but don't be fooled.
They are ready to bring their "A" game.
And I do feel my wallet getting fatter as we speak.
Yeah. I like that.
They're up against Erika and Evey.
Oh, whoa! Look, look, look, look!
These creative partners describe their style
as traditional with a pinch of whimsy.
We're gonna sprinkle some fun into your world.
Yeah, we are.
[ Both laugh ]
We're giving each team a list of three projects
we call our flip list,
along with a $500 budget...
There you go, sir.
...and only one hour to find their three projects.
Let's go over this way. I think this way.
Who's the negotiator in the group here?
ERIKA: Me.
Merry and Erika.
It is so key that you pay as little as possible
if you want to win.
You've got three projects to do that.
You've got the "Mirror Project." Pretty self-explanatory.
Just include a mirror.
"Salvage Design."
All you got to do is go salvage something
and show us what you can do with it.
There's a lot salvage there.
Can't wait to get my hands on that.
And finally, "Chic Storage."
Just make sure that we can put something
in it, under it, around it.
You name it, you can do it.
So, let's go find it!
Good luck! Go, run, go!
Hurry! One hour.
We'll go this way, and if we cut that way,
Okay.
What about this trunk?
MERRY: Oh, my god. Everybody does a trunk.
It's so common.
Are we moving on?
Yeah, I guess we are.
Oh, whoa! Look, look, look, look!
Okay. All right.
For salvage design, we like to rescue things.
We did a good chair before.
We should try that one.
What can you tell me about this chair right here?
This chair came from, actually, an old church.
It is a very old piece.
Sure.
I like this.
It's like a throne. I kind of want this in my house.
And how much are you asking for it?
We're asking $65.
Sure.
$50, and it's yours.
$50? That's wonderful.
It's just a gorgeous piece.
It deserves to be restored to its glory.
You-hoo! What's this?
Isn't it beautiful?
It has a lot of history. It used to be in a church.
That we can take care of.
Yep.
You could breathe some life into the wood, and then we'll see.
Everybody likes to own a piece of history.
I love that. It is beautiful.
Ooh, I want Asian. Asian is hot right now.
What do you think we could do with it?
I think the "Mirror Project" by refurbishing the top
and then putting a mirror on the top.
MAN: I'm asking $75.
Yep.
$50, and you have a deal.
We can do it for $50.
Knock it out of the box.
Thank you!
While we're here, I see something else.
What do you see, honey?
Wow. I like that.
I think we could salvage this, maybe.
How could you salvage it, though?
I think we'd make it higher.
$40, and it's yours.
$39, and it's yours.
MAN: Sounds good.
Two down, one to go.
All right, so, "Mirror Project." Let's go, come on.
Okay.
What about that one
if we, like, stack them or something?
We're gonna have to weld it together.
You think it's sturdy enough, right?
Yeah. Well, wiggle it.
Okay.
I like it.
We find out how much it is, though.
How much for the tables?
You wouldn't take $55?
There's two of them. They're in great shape.
All right, great.
Well, what we're planning to do is weld the tables together
and mirror the surface
and make it a, like, a traveling wet bar.
It's hot. It's a scorcher today.
Yeah, it is.
So, let me ask you your strategy
when it's a hot day at a flea market.
Once it gets hot like this,
they don't want to lug this stuff home,
so a super-scorching hot day with a great bottle of water
is what you need to get the best deals.
Great piece of advice. I love it.
Chic storage?
Here's a blanket chest.
Yeah, let's take a look at that blanket chest.
For the blanket chest?
You look at that, and I'm looking at this.
Oh, my god. And it still has a key!
Al, can you open this?
Can you help him with that?
Does the key come out? Cool.
Is there a locksmith in the house?
We'll take it for $5 since we can't even look inside of it.
We have to sand it, paint it, repair the edges.
Maybe we'll even round out the edges.
Is it a package deal?
Yeah, we'll take both for $10.
We'd give you $2 more for this one.
You won't have to carry it away today. It's hot.
Two bucks?
Yay! We got the whole suite.
Nick.
Thank you, Nick. I'm Merry.
Well, what are you thanking Nick for?
Are you kidding, Lara?
We got the deal of the century.
Do tell.
12 bucks.
Bam, bam, bam.
Yeah, for $12.
Nick, you sold three pieces for $12?
Why?
I don't want to lug them home.
You didn't want to pack them up. Wait a minute, though.
Yes.
Okay, because you know that's the rules.
And remember, you have one day to do your rehab.
And now you have three projects to do.
Yep. We're quick. We will get this done.
Good job, guys! Great job.
We need to find something now, because we're running out time.
Come on, chic storage. Storage, storage, storage.
I see a lot of storage but nothing I like.
What about that?
ERIKA: Okay, well, it's got the storage.
Do you know anything about it, the history?
Like, what can you tell me about this piece?
Those were the type of desks they used to use on ships
because you got to understand that, on a ship,
you didn't have much storage space.
Right. Of course. The storage, exactly.
So, you had to do everything condensed,
so what he would do is, he would do his writing here,
keep his pens, whatever up here,
and whatever papers he would put in here, okay?
It's a nice piece.
How much are you asking for it?
Well, I was looking for $65.
$55?
Why don't you meet me in the middle at $60? How's that?
I think you've made a deal, sir.
I think $60 is great.
I know it's gonna be great for a small apartment,
somewhere that somebody doesn't have a lot of space.
We're done! Yes.
I can't wait to get in the workshop
because the other team is going down.
They're going down, baby. They are, they are.
How are you feeling about your chances now that you've shopped?
I now feel awesome.
Is it possible to be more confident than you were before?
Because you are.
Welcome back to "Flea Market Flip."
Our workshop is busy with the teams transforming their items.
They have big ideas but only one day to get them done.
This is freaking me out!
Erika and Evey can't afford any freak-outs,
as they're looking to get this captain's desk
back into shipshape.
They'll also combine a pair of iron tables
to create a bar cart,
and they hope to restore this century-old bishop's chair.
I've never seen you use a big piece of machinery like this
before.
Al and Merry better get a move on
if they want to get all their work done.
They have some ambitious plans
to upgrade this three-piece bedroom set,
update a vintage Asian chest,
and put a new spin on this traditional tea table.
Remember, time isn't on our side at this point.
Yes, honey.
With only one day to get all of their projects done,
our teams will need to rely on our master craftsmen
for all the help they can get.
Okay.
What we want to do is have them extend a little bit,
almost like...
A little like between a coffee table and a dining-room table,
with that medium height.
And what do you think about a separate stand
so you could take this tray, drop it into this stand?
Wow! I love that idea.
Should all that debris be on the saw while you're using it?
You know, if you keep talking to me, that helps a lot.
Yeah.
I'm excited to show you this.
We know that you paid less than $50 for the table.
Look at this price.
$499.
I'm not saying that that's what you're gonna get at a flea market,
but I got to believe you have a lot of profit potential.
AL: I think this is probably gonna be our biggest moneymaker.
I thought it'd be really cool if we turned the glass into a mirror.
The more you spray, the more reflective it is, right?
But I'm gonna use this really cool technique,
so it's gonna look like it's antique or mercury glass.
What's the plan?
The ones that's not painted,
there's a reason why the legs aren't painted.
We're gonna cut them off,
and we're gonna end up stacking them.
It's gonna be bar height. It's actually gonna be a rolling bar.
That's a fun reinvention.
The top.
Yeah, Evey's gonna spray -- It's mirror paint.
It's looking-glass paint.
And put it on the top and then right under there.
I love the idea of it,
and I hope that the execution pays off.
We made a mirror!
Yeah, we did.
Yeah, baby!
Thank you!
We picked up this oriental-styled cabinet,
and that's our mirror project.
We're having it painted white
so that the wood and the metalwork pops.
Just paint out the panels, all these panels.
MERRY: That's a great idea.
I was very, very upset when I saw them
painting over the original artwork on that one piece
because you just don't do that.
You don't do that. It devalues the piece.
Yeah, they're gonna lose.
Way to go.
It looks great. It does.
Please help me.
[ Laughing ]
It desperately needs to be reinforced.
Yes.
I really don't want to paint it. I want to stain it.
However, I don't know if we can get the wood to open up.
Okay.
My fear is that we're not gonna be able to reinforce the chair.
Oh, all right. Great.
I think it's close to a hot mess at this point.
There's a lot of stuff here.
There's a lot of stuff, but what we want to do
is change the look of these tops
because this is, like, very 1950-ish.
Okay. So, just square edge?
Okay, that's easy.
Oh, my god.
Gentle!
Gentle hands!
Does this feel like a Frankenstein chair?
Kind of, right? A little bit.
It's coming alive, though. It's coming back to life.
All right, careful.
Nice!
I love our salvage project.
A very unique piece of history. It's all about the history.
EVEY: Absolutely. It's beautiful.
Ooh! See?
Nice!
Yeah, it's a Lane.
Wow, this actually a pretty well-known brand.
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
How are you gonna change this finish, though,
because that's nasty?
We're gonna paint the front with white.
You guys have one day.
This is what I was trying to tell you
when you bought these three things.
You're gonna get all three of these painted in one day?
First of all, ouch, okay?
Are we running out of time here?
I really think we need to keep moving, quickly now.
Thank you.
We're going to paint the shells white.
Wives have to make sure things are done correctly.
So, you always shake your paint,
and the other secret is not to hold the can too close.
Knock yourself out.
Our "Chic Storage" project, your favorite!
It's a captain's desk, and it came from a ship, which is cool.
So, for that, we've got to sand down,
get all that paint off.
We're gonna take off the knobs
and replace them with oystermen's knots.
I like the way you're protecting your manicure, there.
Oh, there's no manicure.
Just don't want to get this all over myself.
She's talking about my manicure.
I'm like, "How about that skirt?"
[ Laughing ]
Oh, awesome. This thing's gonna look great.
It's gonna sell.
Al, why is it all dripping?
AL: I don't know. I was doing the best I can.
Al, but that's not good enough!
You couldn't see it dripping?
Yeah, but what am I supposed to do, Merry?
I don't know...
I did the best I could.
Well, the best you could wasn't good enough,
and you should have asked for help sooner.
Yes, dear.
It can't have any drips or runs,
and it has to be smooth.
That was a catastrophe.
I think our opponents were ambitious
with their full set of pieces.
Probably getting nervous by now.
SPENCER: Today our teams are setting up shop at New York's Green Flea.
That's pretty.
And lucky for them -- Al and Merry pulled it together
on their three-piece bedroom set.
Ta-da!
The teams are sharing one booth
and competing for the same customers.
What are they doing, selling accessories,
or are they selling furniture?
And in the end,
the team that makes the biggest profit wins $5,000.
That's right.
[ Laughs ]
MERRY: Don't be overconfident.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
[ Chuckles ]
I like it right here. I think you can see it better.
Truthfully, I see what you have it priced at.
ERIKA: Yes.
Do have a lot of room on this piece?
Great.
We do have a lot of room.
And that's the thing, is that people want to get engaged.
They want to see that you're willing to negotiate,
and we are.
So, do you think that they are a real threat to you?
No?
We found out what they spent in total.
What you think they spent.
Feeling great.
Really confident.
Yes. Absolutely.
Flea markets can be very overwhelming,
so make sure that people are seeing your items,
that they understand the transformation,
where these pieces came from, any history, all right?
Okay.
All right, let's sell!
All right, thank you.
It's by Lane Furniture. We have the original key.
It's complete.
EVEY: It's a bishop's chair from a cathedral in Massachusetts.
200 years old.
It's a gorgeous piece. It's small, but it's not tiny.
I don't know. Is the price negotiable?
Yes.
I'd pay you $200 for it.
It's a deal.
Thank you.
No. No!
Yeah!
[ High pitched-voice ] It'll be fine. Don't worry about it. It's early.
I like how your pitch just got really high.
It's fine. You're freaking out.
I know. It is fine.
...which does not make me feel fine
because you know I panic when you do that kind of decibel.
200-year-old chair.
These retail between $500 and $1,000.
$200. That's where I'm going.
$200 and free delivery.
Can't do it. Sorry, guys.
I do, but...
$175.
[ Sigh ] $170.
Done.
MERRY: Well, they sold the chair,
which was the only piece that we were worried about.
We're actually happy it's not in the competition anymore.
These are Lane Furniture pieces,
and we're willing to break up the set if we get a great offer,
and, actually, all three pieces are only $595.
This one, we're asking $80.
You don't want any other piece?
I just moved into an apartment, and I need certain things.
I think you guys did a great job, but I'm gonna take this.
So, the only piece is this piece for $80.
Okay. I think that's fair.
Okay, we shake on it.
There you go.
They can't sell that Lane chest, and I'm very happy
because I was worried about that Lane chest.
So, you made the decision to sell the smallest one.
Al made the decision to sell the smallest one.
Oh, boy!
We had cash in hand, ready to go, so I took it.
You've made profits on both your sales.
You've sold two pieces.
You have one to go. You can hit it out of the park.
This is not over yet.
This is the original oriental tea table.
Perfect size. You see that?
29 1/2.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
You have to be back in like half an hour, though,
if you're coming back.
Are you married to her?
Oh, my god. I'm so sorry. No, no, no.
This is 20-plus years of wedded bliss over here.
20 years.
"I'll pray for you."
What color would you say that was?
ERIKA: Pomegranate.
How far down will go?
Give me a number, and I'll yet you.
I was thinking $75.
Can you do $90, and it's free delivery?
Yes, it is.
Thank you so much.
Pleasure to meet you.
Thank you very much.
All right.
AL: We both have one piece left, and the clock is ticking.
I'm not worried.
SPENCER: Our teams are working overtime
trying to find buyers here at New York's Green Flea.
Each team still has one item left to sell.
Erika and Evey have their refurbished captain's desk,
and Al and Merry have their Asian tea table.
With time running out, the game is still up for grabs.
MERRY: How about 175?
Yes! Thank you!
Yes! [ Laughs ]
We're not dead until the last minute ticks away.
I know.
This is a captain's desk, a writing desk from a ship,
and it's not just furniture -- It's a piece of history.
And it's got a lot of storage. You can throw stuff in it.
EVEY: We will take $75 for it.
MAN: We need a desk.
They'll take $10. They will take $10.
$10!
One minute, we have one minute. Come on.
Yes? thank you!
Oh, my god!
I got a desk!
We're at least up. Just depends how much up we are.
Yeah.
This was a real nail-biter.
I want to start with Al and Merry.
The question mark was actually three pieces,
the bedroom set.
They may have sold the smallest piece,
and they may have only gotten $80 for it,
but tell them what you spent on all three pieces.
$12.
A $12 investment!
So, you still had a $68 profit.
Was it enough?
You guys.
You believed in that chair.
ERIKA: Right.
$170.
That was the one you knew would drive it home for you.
And it sure did.
In the end, after doing the math,
we can tell you that winners of this "Flea Market Flip"...
...are Al and Merry!
Congratulations!
Thank you, guys!
We had a really good time, and I enjoyed it,
Absolutely.
We put a lot work into our pieces.
We feel really good about winning.
Thank you.
Great job, great vision.
And that is "Flea Market Flip."
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.